President of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Münch, demands a “turn of the times” in internal security.
In a guest article for the “Spiegel”, Münch warns: “The security situation will continue to deteriorate. It is time to act.” Espionage and sabotage, extremism and terrorism, cybercrime and organized crime – there is no phenomenon area that does not give the BKA cause for concern. “This situation allows only one conclusion: We need a genuine turn of the times also for our security agencies. Internal and external security must no longer be thought of as separate.”
Among other things, better equipment of the police is necessary, for example, to monitor the encrypted communication of criminals. “We must enable ourselves to analyze large data volumes or attacked IT infrastructures. Instruments of artificial intelligence can help here.” This only goes with “enhancements in personnel and budget.”
Also, there is a need for legislative catch-up: “Long overdue is the time, in any case, for the IP address storage, a part of the so-called data retention.” One needs a time-limited, mandatory storage of IP addresses. “Quick Freeze, which has been discussed as a supposed alternative to data storage in political discussions for years, helps here exactly zero” Münch said.